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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: present · wave · date · fork · chest · court · staff · bay

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. court — of a king
  5. date — the fruit
  6. present — the time now
  7. staff — employees
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. present — there
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. chest — of your body
  14. court — for sport
  15. chest — of your body
  16. staff — a stick
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. present — a gift
  19. fork — in a road
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. court — of law
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. staff — employees
  24. bay — a part of the sea

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com